AGRIBUSINESS: Why a new calf needs a clean shed.

AGRIBUSINESS: Why a new calf needs a tidy shed.The most efficient cattle operations never consider tidy housing a waste of time. Washing, tidying and maintaining a hygienic cattle shed has financial, health and time benefits down the line. Here are the reasons it is particularly important for calves to have a tidy shed.1)Calves have a poor immune system If your shed is covered in harmful bacteria then your calves are at risk from the moment they hit the ground. Minimize this risk by power washing your byre before the calving season starts and by power washing calving pens once a cow and calf leaves. Calves are particularly vulnerable at birth because they haven't got a well developed immune system yet.There is no vaccine to combat calf-prone viruses like cryptosporidium so keeping the calving box hygienic and disinfected is key to avoid it and other diseases from building up. 2) Better ventilation means less chance of pneumonia. This has more to do with planning (and altering) your shed design, but better ventilation is important at calving time too. In well-ventilated sheds, animals are shown by research to perform better, as they are less likely to develop respiratory infections or pneumonia. Badly ventilated sheds retain too much moisture in the air which then promotes harmful bacteria growth. 3)Calves spend 80% of their time lying down Because of this, and their poor immune system, it is vital that you refresh their straw bedding often before it gets too dirty. This has the added benefit of keeping them warm. Certain minerals are harmful to calves Most farmers aren’t calving all year around, so calving pens will be empty for a time. This does not mean you can store things there when they are. Calving boxes should be left clean and dry during the summer, and shouldn’t be used to store minerals that could be potentially harmful to calves

AGRIBUSINESS :The impact of weather on cow's milk.

AGRIBUSINESS :The impact of weather on cow's milk. Dairy cattle in a farm. Feeding balanced rations that meet the chemical and physical needs of the cow is imperative for their good milk production.Milk composition is economically important to the producers and processors and nutritionally vital to the consumers. AGRIBUSINESS :The impact of weather on cow's milk. A rising trend of health conscious consumers and the introduction of milk pricing system based on quality has compelled processors to focus on the milk component rather quantity. AGRIBUSINESS :The impact of weather on cow's milk. AGRIBUSINESS :The impact of weather on cow's milk. Paul Mambo, a dairy consultant with SNV Kenya, says that many factors affect and alter the milk components among them nutrition, genetics and environment, season, age of the cow, stage of lactation, level of production and diseases.Farmers should, therefore, ensure the feeds they offer their cows are balanced, that is, have energy, protein, minerals and vitamins. “The major milk components are water, fat, protein, lactose and minerals. Nutrition or the feeding management practices in a dairy farm can have a major impact on the levels of milk fat and protein concentration. Fat concentration is sensitive to dietary changes,” he says.AGRIBUSINESS :The impact of weather on cow's milk. AGRIBUSINESS :The impact of weather on cow's milk. According to him, milk fat and protein component tend to be high during the rainy season and lowest during the dry seasons, variations that are attributed to changes in both the type of feed and climatic conditions. When cows go out for pasture in the dry periods, the milk fat is reduced and it is at this time when some farmers cannot afford quality fodder and quite often turn to rice and wheat straws.

Cows and pigs are great livestock, but they can also make you really sick

Cows and pigs are great livestock, but they can also make you really sick.Sometimes in this world, it’s the little things that can cause the most problems. Really, really little things. This is especially true for anyone working around or with livestock in Maine, according to Dr. Anne Lichtenwalner, director of the University of Maine Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and associate professor of animal and veterinary science. Some farm animals can actually “share” parasites with their human companions. “There are actually just a handful of parasites that I worry about,” Lichtenwalner said. “These are critters that are parasites that can live inside you and tend not to be fatal, but that can cause some ugly surprises.” The two most common zoonotic parasites — those that can transfer from animals to humans — in Maine are Ascaris suum and Cryptosporidium. “You are protected by your innate and acquired immune system,”

The effects of noise on cattle performance.

The effects of noise on cattle performance. Husbandry procedures cause the loudest sounds, especially if the metallic equipment is involved or if the work is performed in a hurried manner. The sources of noise can be technical devices, routine works (opening and closing doors, changing pens, washers, push carts, workers’ speech, feed dispensing), basal sound levels caused by mechanical ventilation and animals activities (climbing and chewing on fences). Aircraft overflights are also major sources of noise and can affect feed intake, growth, or production rates in cattle and other domestic animals. The severity of response to disturbance may, however, vary with species, group size, social groups, sex, age, vegetation cover, season, and distance from the aircraft. The exposure of farm animals to noise has been identified as a potential stressor not only in housing but also during the transport and at the abattoir. Animals are often exposed to acute noise levels before slaughter in lairages where noise is caused by ventilation fans and operational equipment. In some parts of the world, grazing cows are often equipped with a bell for several months, to ensure that farmers can locate their animals on the wide pastures. In this case, animals tend to decrease head movements to avoid generation of the sound. As a result, the feeding and ruminating durations are decreased because both behaviors include head movements.

Onions in cattle feed can reduce methane emissions.

Onion a vegetable is widely cultivated and its of the genus Allium,which also has garlic as a member. Onions are cultivated around the world and used mainly as food item but lately their medicinal values have been explored. Onions have been discovered to stop aphid attack in tomato plants thus reducing the use of pesticides,read. 

Onions can be used raw or cooked and it causes irritation to eyes when sliced. This irritation is linked to the chemical it contains(allicin) which incidentally is the potent power of onions and garlic. Onions just like garlic have been shown to reduce pungent ammonia odor in poultry houses,these can be grounded and mixed with litter to prevent smell and also sanitize poultry house. 

The onion or garlic when grounded and spread around perimeter of poultry house prevents pest invasion,while grinding garlic and adding to water of birds prevents coccidiosis and deworms the birds. Cannibalism can be prevented by rubbing garlic paste on birds to prevent pecking. 

Read more A study published in the journal of agricultural and food chemistry has shown that cattle fed with onions have reduced methane emissions because the allicin kills the methane generating bacteria in the stomach of cattle thus reducing the farting associated with the methane emissions. 

The clause to the trial was that the milk had onion (onion milk) taste thus reducing palatability and acceptability of the milk. The scientists, determined to get the onion into the cow without creating onion milk, figured they could track propyl propane thiosulfonate (PTSO), the chemical that gives onions their scent, in the milk. 

They fed 100 cows normal cow feed, and spiked 100 cows’ food with PTSO-containing onion extract, increasing by five grams per cow per day for five days, up to 25 grams. 

They then continued to feed the cows 25 grams of extract for two months. The tests result shows that 25 grams per day was an adequate amount of onion extract to feed cows, and that 2 milligrams per kilogram of PTSO was the maximum concentration to avoid making the milk taste like onions.

Making cows more environmentally friendly by feeding hydroponic fodder.

Scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) and the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt have published a paper revealing an important discovery surrounding plants used to feed livestock; that plants growing in warmer conditions are tougher and have lower nutritional value to grazing livestock, potentially inhibiting milk and meat yields and raising the amount of methane released by the animals. 

           

 The higher amounts of methane are produced when plants are tougher to digest -- an effect of a warmer environment. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, around 25 times better at trapping heat than carbon dioxide and more than 95% of the methane produced by cows comes from their breath through belching and farting . Diet plays a vital role in control of methane emissions related to cattle thus various strategies have been proposed to stem these emissions. 

The change in diet of cattle to more easily digestible and metabolisable feed ensures less regurgitation,more absorption and less methane emission. Farming without soil also referred to as hydroponics refers to growing plants in nutrient rich media under controlled temperature and humidity to produce fresh fodder for animals,which are highly nutritious, easily digestible and free from pesticides. Cattle fed with hydroponic fodder grow fast, produce more milk,beef and less gas. The animals have access to the full nutrients from the cereal or legume,the minerals protein and fat are liberated in the fodder making it a great alternative. Cows normally have access to 20% of energy in the grain diet while with fodder system 95% of the energy is available for growth and reproductive health and performance. The short span of growth from seed to fodder within 7 days ensures that animals have fresh fodder all year round.

Methionine could be key to improving pregnancy rate in dairy cattle.

Research at the University of Illinois has shown that adding methionine to the diets of Holstein cows during the prepartum and postpartum periods may impact the preimplantation embryo in a way that enhances its capacity for survival. "Methionine is the first limiting amino acid for dairy cattle," says U of I animal scientist Phil Cardoso. "We know that the lack of methionine limits cows in producing protein in the milk.He explians

Improving milk production efficiency by using feed additives.

Farmers can achieve efficient milk production by investing in high quality genetics, but this can depend on the maintenance of high-quality rations. Evidence from trials and practical experience indicates that a reliable and cost-effective way of earning more profit from cows' milk is through optimizing feed with the right additives. This is important for farmers not only to ensure that milk production is profitable, but also to ensure optimal health and well-being for cows. Longer productive life in cows using ß-carotene; A longer productive life is associated with low culling rates and high fertility. Regular breeding can be helped by ß-carotene, a plant pigment that acts as a vitamin to support fertility in dairy cows. It accumulates in the ovaries and participates in the synthesis of the hormones oestrogen and progesterone, both of which are important for ovulation and for safeguarding the embryo. Trials conducted worldwide show that optimal dietary levels of Rovimix ß-carotene increase conception rates and lower the number of abortions. Pregnancy rates for first inseminations in a practical farm trial conducted in France increased by almost 40% in ß-carotene supplemented cows. Calving intervals were reduced by 27 days and milk yield increased by more than 400 kg per cow and lactation. The correct supplementation of ß-carotene in rations leads to an improvement in cows' fertility, health and welfare. Other recorded advantages include more regular ovulation, better foetal health and reduced incidence of retained placenta; as well as better calf health. Health issues such as mastitis can also lead to losing otherwise productive cows. Vitamin E is an important feed additive for the natural control of mastitis. Optimal levels of this vitamin (which cannot be synthesised by the cow) in pre-calving and immediate post-calving rations has been proven to increase immune system resistance to mastitis infection, reducing mammary infections at calving by up to 80%. Clinical and sub-clinical mastitis remain among the biggest drains on dairy profitability (Table 2). Supplementing rations with vitamin E, such as Rovimix E, has proved cost-effective and efficient in combating this serious problem. Correct amounts of vitamin E have also proved to decrease the duration of mastitis in infected cows by as much as 50%. There are also clear advantages gained from boosting dairy cow rations with biotin. Evidence suggests that getting the right additives to optimize feed can lead to increased animal health and well-being, production efficiency and increased income on the dairy farm. Longevity is key for efficient milk production and lifetime performance depends on healthy cows, which depends on their diet. source all about feed)

PREVENTION OF MASTITIS USING FEED ADDITIVES.

The need to fight mastitis with a reduced amount of antibiotics is growing. Certain supplements, when applied to cow diets can reduce somatic cell counts and hence mastitis incidence.one of these additives, based on 1-monoglycerides of a medium chain fatty acid. One of the most common and most costly health disorders in dairy cows is mastitis. Dairy farmers need to maintain udder health and milk quality as these parameters directly affect farm profitability. A lot of research has been conducted worldwide to gain insights in how to fight mastitis. Despite all the research done and tools to fight mastitis, there are still farms all over the world that have structural problems with this disease. While antibiotics are still widely used to counter mastitis, there is a growing demand to reduce the use of antibiotics. Non-antibiotic tools to fight mastitis can be found in feed supplements. Mastitis is an inflammation of the mammary gland and is characterized by an increased somatic cell count (SCC) in the milk. In the case of clinical mastitis, abnormal milk is detected, whereas in sub clinical mastitis, the milk composition is changed without visually detectable changes. Mastitis is caused by different strains of bacteria that enter the udder. Inside the udder the bacteria will multiply and cause inflammation. Staphylococcus and Streptococcus, both gram-positive bacteria, are probably the most common bacteria causing mastitis. Mastitis results in major economic losses. In general, the overall milk production and milk quality deteriorates. Treatment of mastitis will result in additional veterinary costs. The milk from cows treated with antibiotics will be discarded due to the withdrawal period of antibiotics. In some countries it is even common that the milk price will be reduced in case of a somatic cell count above a certain limit. Moreover, premature culling of cows results in additional losses as well. Furthermore, addressing mastitis problems give rise to extra labour costs and is time consuming. A lot of solutions have been suggested to reduce mastitis incidence in dairy cows. Besides maintaining good hygiene in the stable and milking house, improvement of udder health will be one of the key aspects to avoid mastitis problems. The company FRAmelco has developed the product FRA® Udder Health dry (hereafter called 'solution'), based on a new molecule, that can lower the somatic cell counts in milk when applied over a longer period of time. The product is a combination of α-monolaurin, a zinc product and micro-ingredients. The rumen-protected α-monolaurin, the main active component in the solution, is a 1-monoglyceride of lauric acid. 1-Monoglycerides of medium chain fatty acids are known to inhibit gram-positive pathogenic bacteria, like Staphylococcus and Streptococcus, which are known to cause mastitis. The zinc in the solution is a nano-sized zinc embedded in a matrix of medium chain fatty acid salts. This coating technique and coating material ensure stability during feed processing and the preparation of the total mix ration (TMR). The interaction with other components will not occur as the minerals remain protected inside the fat matrix until they reach the beginning of the small intestine. Zinc is known as an essential trace element and is especially important for the defense mechanism against pathogens in the udder. This is explained by the fact that zinc is required for the formation of keratin. Keratin is present in the teat canal and inhibits penetration of bacteria. In addition, keratin is important for the functioning of macrophages, which are cells present in the udder and are involved in the protection against pathogens in the mammary gland.